Summer is my favorite culinary season. I love all the fresh produce, the herbs, and most of all the tomatoes. With a successful vaccine program in the D.C. area, restaurants have reopened and people, including me, are dining out with a vengeance. Here are six vegetarian dishes you need to try this summer highlighting all the seasonal vegetables in our region.
PLNT Burger’s Save the Bay Fillet
Dare I say it, but Spike Mendelsohn’s PLNT burger has debuted its best veggie burger yet which definitely qualifies as one of this summer’s best vegetarian dishes. The Save the Bay burger is a vegan fish burger that is crunchy, meaty, and features a distinctive seafood flavor profile. Made with Good Catch Food’s crispy fish-free filet, the burger comes on a butter-toasted potato bun with house-made tartar sauce, pickles, and shredded lettuce. It is a satisfying, crispy dream. Be sure to get some onion bloomies or tarragon dusted fries on the side, and a cool strawberry milkshake to wash it all down!
Oyster Oyster’s Corn Soup
This is no ordinary corn soup. The sweetest of baby corn, combined with filet beans and potato, come swimming in a gorgeous chilled peanut broth. It’s cool, it’s refreshing, and it’s brimming with the sweetness of summer. Everything at Oyster Oyster is a dream, whether you are vegetarian or not! It’s definitely one of my favorite vegetarian restaurants in DC. Swing by for a meal that is designed around the season’s best ingredients.
Makan’s Pineapple Curry
Nothing says summer like pineapple, and one of D.C.’s best Malaysian restaurants, Makan, is serving up a savory vegetarian dish where this tropical fruit is the star. You may imagine this dish to be super sweet but in fact, with the addition of warm spices like cloves and cinnamon, and aromatics like ginger and garlic, the dish is heady and savory. Crunchy shallots provide a great texture in contrast to the soft chunks of pineapple, and white rice is served on the side as an accompaniment. Enjoy it with one of Makan’s summery cocktails!
Centrolina’s Ravioli
It is no secret that I love everything Amy Brandwein makes, but her summer dishes are truly my favorite. Her corn and ricotta ravioli, adorned with chanterelle mushrooms and soaked in heady truffle butter, is what heaven tastes like. Centrolina’s menu is full of vegetarian summer dishes, featuring heirloom tomatoes, figs, basil, and other seasonal ingredients.
Karma Modern Indian’s Pesto Paneer
Karma has not one, not two but three paneer dishes on the menu. All three are vegetarian; one is with paneer and saffron, another is with heirloom tomatoes, and the third is with a bold, bright emerald green pesto. I personally love them all but the one with the pesto I order every time. Chewy chunks of paneer come in a doused in the basil pesto, and served in a puddle of sweet and spicy dipping sauce. It’s perfect for sharing, or you can have it all to yourself!
Colada Shop’s Corn Empanada
Sweet and savory at the same time, Colada Shop’s seasonal empanada is a summer corn empanada. This vegetarian dish will keep you happy all summer. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the outside, these empanadas are seriously addictive! Have one with one (or more!) of Colada Shop’s famous pina coladas. Try one at any of Colada Shop’s spots around D.C., Maryland, or Virginia.
